Draft-gear.



patented May 6, 1919,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

AVN

H, Ci PRHBEA umm am;

A V APPLICATION FILED DEC.3, \9| E QM i Patented May 6, 1919.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- titl lli

l' lflllitllflll.

HERMAN (l. PRIEBE. OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

onlinr-enen.

pasaros.

Application filed December 3, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

.Be it know that I, HERMAN C. Pinnen, citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain newl and useful Improvement in Drafti Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to car structures and is of particular service in connection with those car structures which employ center or draft sills in the under frames thereof.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of a construction whereby cheek plates or castings provided upon the draft sills are in supporting relation to the yokes of couplers throughout the ranges of movement of such yokes to relieve or lessen coupler supporting keys of undue strain and to secure. other advantages.

he invention also has for provision of an improved formation of coupler yokes. In carrying out this object of my linvention I make the sides of the coupler yokes of lU-shaped straps and in the formation of these straps elongated open' ings are provided into which cheek plates on castings extend to be in supporting relation to the coupler yokevs throughout their norl mal ranges of movement.

All features of my. invention will be more fully explained by panying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which yFigure l is a view in plan, partially inl section on line 1-1 of Fig. 3i; FigQ is a view on line 2-e2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a view on line 3B of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred form of coupler yoke Astructure with the sides of the coupler yoke shown in partially separated relation; Fig. 5 illustrates an inner follower; and Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of coupler yoke in which the U-shaped side straps that form the coupler yoke are made in one integralstructure.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

In the form of the invention illustrated there is employed a coupler whose stem l has connected therewith a coupler yoke 2. The coupler butt 3 engages the outer follower 4' and the inner end of the coupler yokeengages the inner follower 5. The followers t and 5 are provided on their op- Specication of Letters Patent.

its object the' reference to the accom-V -tudinally of the center sills.

litatented llllay tl, tutti. Serial No. 205,211.

posing faces with tubular extensions ll and 7 that project toward each other. The niou tion resisting springs 8 and l) surround the tubular extensions 6 and 7'.

The draft gear structure thus far described is interposed between the center or draft sills l0. Where such draft gear supplemented by motion resistingspringmecl1anism upon the exterior of thelcenter or draft sills, motion to such exterior spring mechanism may be conveyed by continuations ll., l2 of the followers 4l and 5, these continua? tions being, for the sake 4of convenience in construction and assembly, in. the form of keys which pass through the followers as .indicated clearly in Figs. l. and 2. ln order that the springs may be properly associated with the ends of the key cont-initiations Il and 12 of the followers fl and 5, the ends of these key extensions are,I passed through slots in the follower bloc-ks it New which. the springs 15, 1G are inter-pos l, these fol lower blocks being maintained in a semblv with the keys by means of Cotter pins li", The followers I3 and let are provided on their opposing faces with tubular extensions 19, 20 which project toward each other an d are in telescoping relation. The motion rem sisting springs 15 and 16 surround the tuhlev lar extensions l9and 20.

A key 2l passes through the coupler and moves longitudinally of the car ructure therewith. .This key is prevented from endwise displacement by means 'of cotter pins 22 that are upon the exteriors of the center sills l0. Cheek 'plates or castings 23 are secured upon the inner faces of the center sills. These cheek plates are provided with elongated-slots 24 that register with corresponding slots 25 in the center sills and in which slots the key 2l is movable longi r.the cheek plate is provided with elongated slots 2G that register with corresponding slots Q7 in the center sills and in which slots Athe .key ll is movable longitudinally of thelcenter sills. The cheek plates are provided with elongated slots 28 that register with corre sponding slots 29 in the center sills and in which slots the key 12 is movable lonnitudinally of the center sills. lThe outer ends of the slots 26, 27 deline the limit to lwhich the key 1l may be outwardly moved and the inner ends of these slots to which th-e key 11 may be inwardly moved. The outer ends of the slots 28, 29 define the define the limit titl lOl)

practically to span the gap between the cheek castings to prevent the yoke from being moved laterally to such an extent as to become disengaged from one y/or the other of the cheek castings. liy this arrangement the Voke'm'is supported directly upon the cheek castings iti 'the event of breakage or removal of the keys ll and 12 and the load of the yoke and the parts of the draft gear carried by the yoke is bo-rne in part by the cheek castings and not wholly by the keys whereby these keys are relieved of shearing and other strains to an appreciable extent.

The yoke is` under inormal conditions, supported throughout its range of movenient at all times uponthe cheek platesor castings wheiebythe keys are, undei' normal conditions, relieved as set forth. rThe horizontal openings 21 are continued out- Wardly so as to also receive the coupler key 21 as well as the keys 11 and 12.

The elongated horizontal openings 21 are produced by making the coupler yoke of bar iron or steel which may be forged or east. The preferred forni of coupler yoke is illustrated most clearly in lI" ig. 4 and includes two separate. side straps each of U-shape with the sides of each U in an upright plane. The base of each U is at the outer end of the draft rigging. rIhe inner ends of each U are extended crosswise to- Ward the other U to form hooks 30 whose short ends extend lengthwise of the yoke and outwardly with respect to the draft ear. The yoke of the coupler is formed 'of two side 'straps of bar iron each of U- shape, each U-sliapcd strap having its sides spaced clear from the inner end thereof to itsbase, the ends o f the. U-shaped-straps opposite the bases therei'if extending crosswise- The inner follower 5 has formed therein. at its .inner end, pockets 5 that receive the short ends of the hooks 30 and prevent them from striiightening. In the 'irefcrred embodiment of the invention the short ends of the h ooks Stlwupon each side. strap of the yoke are maintained. by the pockets 51, in engagement with the short.

` ends of the hooks 5i() npon the other side strap of the yoke whereby these engaging short ends of the hooksl cooperate with the The. yoke has elongated' pockets 51 to prevent these short ends from straightening. In Fig. 4, for the sake of clearness, the side straps of the hook are shown as being slightly separated but they are preferably more closely approached vin order that the short ends of tlie hooks 30 may be engaged as just described. In the form shown in Fig. (5 the side straps of the yoke are made in one integral bar with the upper hooks 30 merged with each other and the lower hooks 30 merged with each other, but I yprefer to employ the form 'shown in Fig. 4 where. the straps are separately made.

lVhile I have. herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment y,ot my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, buthaving thus described in v invention I claim asr new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:-

l. Draft gear including a couplei having ay coupler yoke formed with two separate side straps of-bar iron each of U-shape with the bases of the U-shaped straps outermost and the, inner ends of each U-shaped strap extending toward the other strap and forniing hooks with short. ends, each U-sliapcd strap having its sides spaced apart for the reception of inner and outer follower elements therebetween; an outer follower having a portion located between the sides of the U-shaped straps at the outer ends of the yoke: and an inner follower having a portion located between the sides of the U- sliaped straps and engaged by theinnei ends of the straps, said inner follower having pockets that receive said short hook ends.

Draft gear including a` coupler having a coupler yoke formed with two side straps of bar iron each of U-shape with the bases of the U-shaped straps outermost and the inner ends of each U-shaped strap extending toward thel other strap, each U-shaped strap having its sides spaced apart for the reception of inner and outer `followerclements therebetween; an outer follower having a portion located between. the sides of the U-shaped straps at the outer ends of the yoke; and an inner follower having a portion located between the sides of the, U-sliaped straps and engaged hy the inner ends of the. straps.

In witness whereof, I lierennto subscribe my name this first day of Deceniher, A. Il.,

. HERMAN C. IRIEBE. 

